I know Farhan from my secondary school years, and it's amazing how we have remained in contact after so many years. We were just going out for a movie and at dinner, he was all like "Dude! Do you remember _________?!"
Obviously, I did not know who that person was since I drew a black on her name in the previous paragraph. Then he goes on to tell me this:
Farhan: So I saw ______ a couple weeks ago, and she's like so different from (her time in) secondary school. We had a small chat and she told me she actually just came back from South America. What happened was she decided to take a gap year and went to South America to live for half a year. She went around the region and took up odd jobs here and there... But the incredible thing is she went with whatever money she had and survived to tell the tale of her journey.
At this point in time, I'm just bowled over by the sheer audacity this young lady has.
To fucking live in South America! Where crimes frequently happen. Guns, drugs, prostitution and whatever vices you can name. I mean, I'm not saying that South America is entirely made up of preconceived notions that media has been feeding me. But when I think of South America, those are the words that pop into my head.
That is really one heck of a YOLO experience. And a good one too, might I add. To actually learn to speak the language, immersing yourself in the culture of another country, getting to know the people there, TAKING UP JOBS in places you'd never imagined... Wow, I really want to have that.
It has always been a dream of mine to delve into the unknown. Treacherous as it may seem, it really gives you what you need to survive out there.
However, I'm stuck here.
On an island.
With my feet-on-the-ground family.
I should be grateful. I should be happy. I should be shouting "Hallelujah, I'm alive each day!"
If being alive means sticking close to comfort and conforming to society's vision, I'd rather be dead.
I need my YOLO experience.
btw, ORD loh~ (means I'm fucking done with National Service. Fuck that shit.)
